For the First Time
by ForeverYoungxx3
Summary: Nick, I don't want to do this either, but I know you. And I know that right now, you should be chasing after the girl you truly love instead of hanging here with me, the girl who you'll soon enough forget about after this summer. xx NILEY
1. Chapter 1

**Nick's POV **

"Nick, listen. I really do love you. I just-" I cut Selena off.

"I love yo-" I started to say but this time it was she who cut me off. "No, you don't, Nick. I want to believe you do, I really do. But I know you don't. I know your heart belongs to Miley and that will never change. I keep telling myself that one say you'll love me the way you love her, but I know you won't."

"Sel, I do love you. Miley and me are over." I said, stating the obvious. Miley and I had broken up well over two years ago.

"I see the way you look at her. And I know you've never looked at me like that. Every time you see her, your face lights up and you smile. You probably don't even realize you do it, but you do. You've never looked at me like that. Sure, you smile when you see me, but it's not the smile you have when you see Miley," Selena said. She was visibly upset, although she was not crying.

In all honesty, I didn't know what to say. I'd be lying if I said I no longer loved Miley. She was my first true love and first real relationship. But, I also knew Miley and I were over for good. We'd both gone our separate ways. I had stayed with music, while soon after she told the world she was Hannah Montana, she went into the fashion industry. I also knew I loved Selena.

"Sel, I honestly don't know what to say

because I really do love you.."

"And I'm sure you do, but it isn't to the intensity of the way you love Miley. So, I think we should break up." Tears were now forming in her eyes, daring to roll out at any second.

I wrapped my arms around her as I stood on the beach. I really hated knowing such a sweet girl was crying over me.

"Please don't do this, I love you. Miley is my past, you are my present. I don't want to lose you, Selly." I truly did care about Selena. She was my girlfriend.

"Nick, I don't want to do this either, but I know you. And I know that right now, you should be chasing after the girl you truly love instead of hanging here with me, the girl who you'll soon enough forget about after this summer. I'll just become a name you'll remember every once in a while. Miley, though, is a girl who I know you think about more than you let on.. Go get her, Nick.." As she said this, she pushed me off of her gently and the tears streamed down her face.

It was funny, because I knew everything she was saying was true. Miley did mean more to me than she did. I just also knew I loved Selena.

"Sel, I really do care about you and.." I trailed off, not quite knowing what to say. I didn't want to hurt her any more than I knew I already had. I didn't want to admit to her that she was right, because I didn't want to see her feel anymore pain.

"It's ok, Nick. We tried and it didn't work out," she continued wiping her tears, "But do me a favor, and go get Miley. You deserve to be with the girl you truly love. You're a good guy, Nick, and you deserve to be happy. Hopefully, my prince is waiting for me somewhere out there too." She forced a smile at me, which pained me, knowing it wasn't remotely real.

"Can we stay friends?" I asked in a timid voice. I was shy all of a sudden and I didn't know why. Maybe it was because I knew she knew me too well.

"Of course..." She said this as she turned around and walked away. I watched her figure until I couldn't see it anymore, the dark sky blending in with her dark figure in the night.

I sat down on the beach and stared at the horizon. I was confused. Although I knew in my heart that everything Selena said was true, I also knew Miley was never going to come back to me. I wasn't there for her when she needed me most.

I really had been into Selena. She was a great girl and I had had a lot of fun with her. I will admit, I dated her to get over the pain of losing Miley but I truly cared about her. And I think I did love her. I think Miley just had a bigger spot in my heart...

I missed Miley with everything in me. There was something about her that made my heart beat fast and my stomach feel tingly. Every time I kissed her, I never wanted to pull away. I could never get tired of hearing her say 'I love you' to me. Never. My heart ached as I sat and thought of her, yearning for her to be mine again.

As I sat staring at the waves hitting the shore, I made a promise to myself. **I, Nicholas Grey, was going to win Miley Stewart back.**

**Miley's POV **

I hoisted the heavy box up on to my bed. My back hurt so I sat down beside my best friend, Lily Truscott.

"Ugh, Lily! This is taking forever!" I whined, as I laid back on my bed.

"All this will be worth it in the end, when we have our whole apartment to ourselves set up and ready to live in!" Lily, probably the most optimistic person I had ever met, squealed next to me.

I couldn't blame her, I was pretty excited to move in my self. However, lifting the boxes was not all that much fun.

"Hello?" A male voice called out from the hall. I walked into the main room, and there stood my boyfriend, Jake. I ran to him and gave him a bear hug.

"You two hungry? I brought you some bagels and coffee.." He said, motioning towards the coffees and bag of food on the coffee table. I hugged him again and he kissed the top of my head.

"Thank you so much, Jake. You really didn't have to do that." I said as I snuggled into his chest.

"Do I smell food?" Lily asked as she walked into the room and immediately noticed what was placed down on the coffee table. "Ooooh, I do! Might I say Miley, this boy is a keeper!"

I giggled and pulled away from Jake's arm. She was one crazy girl. "I agree with you, Lily, he IS going to be staying around for a while." I said as I opened the bag and pulled out a bagel.

"Good, because I don't plan on going anywhere, Miss Miley," Jake responded with a grin. He walked over to the table and protectively wrapped his arms around me.

I smiled; life was good. My best friend was moving into a new apartment with me and I had the sweetest boyfriend in the world.

**A/N**

**So, first chapter. Not amazing, but certainly not terrible. This was just kind of the chapter that would set everything up. Hope you like it. Read and review please ;) It might just make me update faster. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Nick's POV **

I was on my way back to my apartment from the beach when my phone rang. "Hello?" I said, without glancing at the Caller ID.

"Heyyyyyy!" Shouted my brother, Joe, into the phone. Oh gosh, why did I have to answer the phone. Don't get me wrong, I love my brother, but right now, I just was not in the mood for his high energy level.

"What do you want, Joe?" I grumbled into the phone.

"Who put ants in your plants, Mr. Grumpy Pants?" I was going to strangle him. Although he was 3 years older than me, he lacked the maturity of an 8 year old. By a lot.

"Joe, I'm really not in the mood. Selena just broke up with me." I stated with a sigh. I wasn't that upset about it, but the break up had brought up a lot of painful memories of my previous break up with Miley. That one had been much more painful for me.

"Oh, sorry, bro. I guess she just wasn't the one. Every break up makes you one step closer to the right one. What happened?" He asked, in a more serious tone. It was a rare occasion when he knew to be serious.

"Yeah, I guess. She broke up with me because she said she didn't want to keep me from the girl I loves. Meaning Miley. She said that I love Miley more than her and I should go chase after her..which I think I just might do.." I said, my voice gaining confidence. I was going to go fight for her.

Joe responded, "Oh, wow. She must really care about you to say that because she loves you. And Nick, Miley has a boyfriend and such now. Do you really think you should go and fight for her?" I could here the care he had for me in his voice.

I pulled up to my apartment and turned the engine off. I did not however get out of the car. I laid my head against the cold steering wheel and sighed again.

"How do you know she has a boyfriend?" I asked in a quiet voice. As much as I wanted to go win her back, I also didn't want to ruin her relationship. That'd only make her hate me even more.

"I ran into Lily at the store the other night. I asked how her and Miley were doing. She said they got a nice apartment together and that Miley was back with Jake.. I'm sorry, bro. But, who knows, they might not last long." I knew his last sentence was just an attempt to cheer me up. I prayed with everything in me it would would come true.

"Damn it! I waited too long to fix things with her and now it's too late!" I slammed my head back into the steering wheel.

"Nick, dude, relax. Just chill for a little bit. I mean, you weren't even planning on getting back with her until Selena broke up with you.." He stated, calmly. I knew he was right, though, I had to calm down above everything else. Then I needed to decide how I was going to get MY girl back.

"Yeah, man, you're right. Sorry, I lost it there. I think I'm just gonna try and rekindle our friendship and see where that takes us. If I want to fix things with her, I know I'm going to have to be the one who makes the first move. So, tomorrow I'll go and try to talk to her. I doubt she'll listen, but I have to try because I really do miss her and I want her back in my life." I nodded my head when I finished speaking, gaining confidence in my plan.

"There you go. Take things slow with her. Don't go there tomorrow and confess your love for her and make her feel uncomfortable.." I couldn't believe Joe was actually giving me good advice. There's a first.

"Alright. That's just what I'll do. I'll go to her and Lily's apartment first thing tomorrow morning. Thanks for the advice, man." I felt better about everything after I had talked with him.

"No problem, man. I have to go, though. Kevin and I go on air in 20." After a while, Kevin and Joe got bored of the music industry and of our band, Connect 3. While I went solo, they went into radio broadcasting and currently had they're on show on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. It was a change for them but it gave them both some time to spend together as well.

Kevin wasn't around much after that much because he was married to a beautiful girl, Dani. He spent a good deal of his time with her, rightfully so but sometimes he got caught and forgot about the rest of his family. Joe really enjoyed the radio show because it gave him time to bond with Kevin. The three of us had been so close growing up but Kevin had began to drift off.

I walked up the steps into my apartment and plopped down on the couch. I would watch the Yankees game for a bit and then head to bed. I needed a good night's sleep to prepare for what I was going to do tomorrow.

**Miley's POV **

After a long day of organizing our new apartment and unpacking, Lily and I relaxed in the living room. Jake had left around 5 because he had a dinner date with his parents. It was going to be a girl's night for the two of us.

"You'll never guess who I ran into in the store the other day." Lily said excitedly. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a messy bun on top of her head.

"Who? Santa Clause?" I asked, knowing she would make me guess eventually.

"Nope, I saw Joe Grey." She said.

"How's he doing?" I asked nonchalantly. I was more concerned about how his younger brother was doing. Wait, I couldn't allow myself to think about him. He had broken my heart into a zillion pieces about two years ago.

"He's doing good. He said Nick and Selena are back together.." She said this cautiously, not sure how I would take it. Even though I told her repeatedly that I was over him, she never really believed me. And she had a right not to. I didn't believe it myself.

"Oh, so we both moved on.." I stated awkwardly.

"Miles, you need to forget about him. You have an amazing boyfriend now and you don't want to ruin your relationship." Lily stated.

"You're right. I love Jake." I said, and smiled because he really was a great guy.

We turned back to the television and tuned in to "A Walk to Remember." I really wasn't one for sappy movies. My mind zoned out. Instead of the characters on the screen, my mind was filled with memories of Nick Grey. Although I had been, and still was, incredibly mad at him, there was something special about the relationship I had had with him.

He was a gentleman. There was never a time when we would go somewhere and he wouldn't pay. I loved the way he'd open my door for me every time we drove some where. When me and someone else were having an argument, he always came to my side immediately and defended me. I got butterflies just by thinking about him.

Wait, what was I thinking? I had a boyfriend; a loyal, handsome boyfriend. I couldn't be thinking about Nick, he was the past. I pushes all thoughts of the curly-headed boy aside as I tuned back in to the movie. I knew I couldn't torture myself with the past.

**A/N **

**I wrote two chapters at once, so I figured I'd just upload them together. Give you guys more of a taste of my story. The following chapters will get longer. PROMISE. Read and Review? **


	3. Chapter 3

**Nick's POV **

Miley and I did have quite the history.

We met when we were 16, two years before she told the world she was Hannah Montana. I, of course, knew the secret long before it came out. Hannah's music had really begun to take off and Connect 3 was at the peak of its career.

Our managers decided the four of us should do a concert together, and that's where we met. Miley and I instantly hit off. We became best friends and two months later we were dating.

Our relationship really was a special one. For me, the best part of it, was that we didn't take ourselves too seriously. We were not one of those boring couples who act all grown up and only go out to boring dates at restaurants. On our first date, I took her bowling.

The two of us would always be goofing off. Although I was a rather serious person, Miley brought out my fun side. She, herself, was a smiley ball of energy.

Our relationship carried on like that. We dated from the time we were 16 till the time we were 19. Those three and a half years were the best ones of my life. Until I messed everything up and we broke up in a vicious argument.

It really sucks knowing I hurt her so bad. Towards the end of our relationship, we fought a lot. Over stupid things. Things that don't even matter now and hardly mattered then.

The worst of all, was when she was going through a rough time, and I couldn't be there for her. Her dad was getting remarried. Miley didn't like the lady one bit. Clara was her name and she had a daughter, Becky, who Miley thought was out to get her.

Miley was really upset over all of this, feeling she was losing her mother even more than she had when she died. At the time, I was in Europe on my solo tour and Miley was devastated with what was going on. I probably could've called her more to check up on her than I did, but I was so busy and stressed out by the tour that I didn't give her all the attention she probably could've used. It is one of the many things I am guilty for. I wasn't there for her when she needed me, which was the cause of our final fight.

When I got back, the worst part happened. I went to Miley's house to surprise her and Becky opened the door, saying Miley wasn't home. She then proceeded to tell me she liked me. I told her I was in love with Miley. Regardless, she kissed me. Not thinking, I kissed her back. A second later I pulled away, realizing my mistake. At the moment Miley walked up and saw.

My heart broke in two seeing her cry like she did. Tears were flying down her face so fast that her whole face was soaked within 30 seconds. I can never seem to shake the image of her crying like that out of my mind. We got into a huge argument over all of this and things were said that we didn't mean. We broke up right then and there, Miley having given back the promise ring I had bought for her a while back to show her I would always love her. As I was walking away from her house, I realized what a mistake we were making. I turned pack to try and talk to her but she only threw the thing that was closest to her at my head. In this case, it happened to be a frying pan.

It hurt a lot. I still have a scar along the side of my head from where it hit.

I was thinking about all of this as I walked up the steps to her apartment. I took a deep breath and knocked on the wooden door.

The door swung open and in front of me stood the most beautiful woman in the world. She was wearing plaid pajama bottoms, a baggy t-shirt and brown Uggs. Her dark brown hair was pulled up into a sloppy bun on top of her head but she was still gorgeous.

"Miley. Hi." I said, nervous as hell. I wasn't sure how she would respond to me. After all, we hadn't talked in a long time.

"Why are you here?" She asked, clearly annoyed by my presence. Her arms were crossed across her chest and her eyebrows were raised.

"I thought maybe we could talk. It's been a while.." I said this rather awkwardly. I probably should've thought through what I was going to say before I got here.

"Nick, honestly, I'm not in the mood right now for your crap. I have a boyfriend who I'm happy with. I have a best friend who I wouldn't trade in for the world. I don't need you; I never did. So go run along and go break other girl's hearts." As she said this, my heart broke. She made an effort to close the door, but I stuck my hand out and stopped her.

"Miles, come on. Why can't you give us a chance at being friends?"

"Because.. I hate you." Her response was only four words but it felt like someone stabbed me. "You don't mean that," I continued, "Look, I'll leave because that's clearly what you want right now. But don't think I'm just giving up. I want to promise you something. No matter if we're on speaking terms or not when the time comes, if you need someone I'll be there. My biggest regret was not being there for you when you needed me and I promise you from now on, I'll be there. All you have to do is call me and I promise, I'll come."

"Like I would ever call you when I needed help. You wouldn't know what being there meant even if it hit you across the face." She spat these words at me with force. I was a bit taken aback because she rarely talked like this, even when she was mad. I hated to know I was the reason she wasn't her happy, bubbly self.

"Alright. But everything I just said is true, remember that," I said this sincerely. I would be there for her, no matter what kind of trouble she got herself into or what hour of the night it was.

"Good bye, Nick." As she said this, the door slammed in my face.

"Well, maybe next time I see her, things will go a bit smoother," I thought to myself.

As I climbed in the car, I couldn't shake the image of her face out of my head. It was so angry, so hurt, so hateful. But besides all that, it was truly beautiful. She had the face of an angel.

**Miley's POV **

When Nick left, I turned around and headed back into the living room. Lily had just woken up and by the look on her face, I could tell she had been awake long enough to hear the argument Nick and I had just shared. She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my torso.

"It's okay, don't cry. You have Jake now anyways. He doesn't matter anymore. Just forget about him. He's your past. Jake is your present," she held me tight. Although I had put on an angry poker face, Lily could tell I was really just upset.

Even though Nick had broken my heart when I saw him kissing Becky, he was still my first true love. He was still that boy who had shown me how to trust someone with everything in you. He was also the boy who had complete control of my heart to this very day; the boy I threw a frying pan at.

After seeing him again and hearing his voice, it brought back a lot of painful memories. The day Nick and I broke up was the worst day of my life. I cried all day long and didn't get any sleep at night. Lily had stayed there, making sure I was alright. She was a true friend and I loved her with everything in me. She was practically a sister and right now she knew I needed a hug.

"Lily, I think I still love him," I whispered into her ear. "How can I be with Jake if I think I love Nick. That wouldn't be right." I was so confused.

"Miley, it's normal to still think you love him because he was your first true love. There's no denying you did love him. But you love Jake now too and he's a good guy. He really is. I can tell he cares about you. Don't let seeing Nick mess things up between the two of you. In fact, it might be best if you didn't even mention to Jake that you saw Nick. You know how jealous he gets," Lily let go of me and we walked over to the couch.

"I can't not tell him, though. We have a date tonight and he's going to know something's wrong," I said.

"Well don't let him think that then. Just pretend to be happy for a few hours," Lily said this trying to help me but it only made me feel worse. Whenever I was upset and Nick was my boyfriend, I couldn't pretend to be happy around him. He could see straight through my many acts. And he wouldn't drop the fact I was upset until I told him what made me unhappy and helped to make me feel better.

My heart ached as I longed to be going on a date with Nick tonight. Well, the Nick I fell in love with anyway. I didn't want anything to do with the Nick who kissed Becky.

"Lil, he's my boyfriend I shouldn't have to pretend around him. I hate that I do. I wish I could just feel every emotion I want to feel and not have to worry about what he's going to think about it. Every time I say something, I have to think before I say it with him. If I say one wrong thing, he flips out and gets mad. And you know what he's like when he's mad. He goes irate and I can't do anything to calm him down." I shuddered at the thought of Jake Ryan mad. Even though I thought I loved him, I was almost scared of him when he was mad.

"Miley, if you feel that strongly about his temper and how you can't be yourself around him, maybe you should just break up with him. It's not worth being in a relationship with him if you feel like you have to say what HE wants you to say. It shouldn't work like that."

I loved Lily because she was always so understanding and she always knew what to say. Jake was great when he was in a good mood. He was really fun to be around. I had once thought our relationship was perfect, but now I was beginning to see the flaws.

"You know, what? I'll see how tonight goes. If it's bad, I'll really consider breaking up with him. I'm going to be completely myself tonight, and if he freaks out, it's not my problem. I know there's guys out there who love me for me and if Jake isn't one of them, oh well." I put a smile on my face.

Part of me was hoping that tonight wouldn't work well. I kind of wanted to break up with him. Ever since I had just seen my favorite Grey boy, all these emotions flooded back to me.

"That's a good plan." Lily said with a smile.

Jake was supposed to pick me up at 7 for our date, so I was ready at 6:45 in case he was a few minutes early. I didn't want to keep him waiting.

Lily and I sat on the couch while we waited for him to come. It was now 7:15 and he wasn't here. We had been dating for three months and it was a rare occasion that he was on time for one of our dates. I sighed, knowing if I was going out with Nick tonight, he would be there right at 7.

"Where is he?" I asked, annoyed. One of my biggest pet peeves was late people.

"Miles, I'm sure he'll be here soon. Just don't stare at the clock, it will make the time feel like it's dragging on," Lily smiled at me as she said this.

"Is it bad that I can't help but think Nick wouldn't be late for one of our dates?" I asked Lily. I could hear her sigh.

"Don't think about Nick right now. He was very good to you, but remember you and Nick also fought a lot towards the end. You haven't had one fight with Jake yet."

I didn't say it out loud but all I was thinking was that it was because if I got mad at Jake he would probably go ballistic on me and I didn't want to deal with that. In some ways, I was almost scared he would hit me if I got him mad enough.

"You're right." I forced a smile at Lily even though I'm sure she knew it wasn't real. It was worth a try, though.

It was quiet for a few minutes until I just bursted.

"Where is he? It's 7:30, he's 30 minutes late and he doesn't even call. He could at least send a little text, but no! I have been sitting here for 30 minutes waiting for him and I'm not even sure if I want go on this date anymore. Half of me wants to just go upstairs and get changed out of this dress and throw on my pajamas! I've had enough of a crappy day already and now I have to go out on a date with a guy who doesn't even have the decency to call when he's gonna be late." I hadn't realized I had been yelling, but when I looked over at Lily, it was clear I had. She was staring at me wide-eyed.

"Miley, calm down! Why don't you call him? Maybe he forgot.." Lily said rather calmly.

"Good idea," I muttered and pulled out my cell phone. I had a new text. Thinking it was Jake, I sighed realizing maybe he had tried to warn me he was gonna be late. I opened it and saw it was from Nick. My heart beat a little faster.

It read: 'I meant what I said earlier. I'm gonna be here for you from now on and that's never going to change.'

I smiled to myself. I was still mad at him and I didn't want him to think I wasn't. I responded with just a simple 'k.' Then I dialed Jake's number. It rang six times and then went to his voicemail. I sighed and hung up. I wasn't going to leave him a voice mail.

"He didn't answer," I muttered to Lily. She nodded and then asked, "Who was that text from?"

"Nick.. he was just saying that he really meant what he said earlier about always being here for me. I'm still incredibly mad at him but you gotta admit, that's cute," I couldn't help but smile as I said this.

Lily agreed, "It definitely is, but don't forget about your boyfriend."

"Like he even cares! He's 35 minutes late for our date!" I was not happy about the fact he was late. At the moment I might have even been more mad at Jake than at Nick.

Just then the doorbell rang. Promising myself that I wasn't going to be anyone but me tonight, I opened the door with a frown on my face.

"Hey, Miley. Why aren't you happy to see me?" Jake asked, confused as he pulled me into his arms. His arms were a bit too loose and he didn't pull me close enough for it to be the perfect hug. I knew another, curly-haired guy who gave the perfect hug. I shook my head slightly, I had to stop thinking about him right now.

"You're late," I said simply, pulling myself out of his hug. He just looked at me. Unbelievable, I told him he did something wrong and he just didn't respond. I could see Lily just staring at him from down the hall.

"Well, let's go, I guess," I said this awkwardly because it didn't look like he planned on making a comment about me telling him he was late. Was he really that conceited that he didn't think he could do anything wrong? I remembered when we were younger, before I even dated Nick, how he was always boastful of how much better he was of a singer than me. He didn't exactly say that flat out but he sure did imply it.

We walked down the steps of my apartment and to his car. He didn't bother to open my door for me. In all honesty, I wasn't surprised.

Tonight, I was going to be 100% Miley and if he didn't like that, too freaking bad for him.

**A/N**

**As promised this one is much longer; close to 3000 words :)**

**Not sure when the next one will be up. Shouldn't be more than a week. **

**I'd really like some more feedback & make sure you guys are enjoying this.**

**Still finding my way around FanFiction. It's a pretty cool site. **

**Well, I'm gonna go to bed now. I'm SO achy from practice. **

**Read and Review, please ;D It would be much appreciated. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Miley's POV**

The car ride was silent as we began driving towards the destination he had in mind. I was getting annoyed, he should've at least had the decency to explain why he was late instead of pretending he was on time. I had told my self that I was going to be the real me tonight so being me, I was not gonna let this slide without an explanation. Not that I really cared where he was, I just wanted to admit he had been the one in the wrong.

"Why were you late?" I asked in a bit of a rude tone. Tonight, I was not faking any emotions.

"I wasn't even that late. Ever heard of being fashionably late?" He asked in an equally rude tone. In his case, though, he had no reason to be rude to me. I had done nothing wrong. I just asked a question.

"Jake, 45 minutes late is not fashionably late. That's just called being rude. Honestly, I'm a little upset you didn't call about being late either. It doesn't take more than a minute to give me a quick call," I was really letting him have it and I was glad I was. I had never really told him what was on my mind before, and it felt good to do so.

"Sorry, Miley." He said in the most sarcastic tone on the planet and then continued, "I was hanging with my friends, chill out. It's not that big of a deal. I'm here now."

I could tell he was in a bad mood and I don't think I was the total cause of it. I honestly hadn't said anything that bad to him and he was snapping at me.

It kind of pissed me off that he thought it was okay to show up 45 minutes late for a date and not even call. I think the worst part was, he did it because he was hanging out with his friends. I mean, if one of his family members was in the hospital or he got held up at work, I might have been a bit more understanding.

I just didn't respond to his comment because I didn't want to hear any more little, nasty comments from him.

We arrived at the restaurant and I climbed out of the car, sure he wouldn't open the door for me. I followed him as he walked into the restaurant. That was another thing that annoyed me about him, he always walked in front of me like he was my bodyguard.

The restaurant was called 'The Little Oyster.' It was a seafood joint down by the beach. In all honesty, I hate seafood. I don't know why, but the smell just makes me nauseous. Nick would never have taken me to a seafood place, that was for sure. I was done pretending to be okay with everything Jake did.

A waiter led us to a table near the window where you could look out into the ocean. The view was gorgeous. The sky was cloudy and the waves were going wild, I could sense a storm coming.

"So, how is my pretty lady doing?" He asked, sweetly. It was as if he were trying to pretend we hadn't had that little tiff in the car, but we had. I hated how he thought if we just didn't talk about it, everything would be okay.

"Not to great," I said, seeing if he'd care to ask why. I was surprised when he did.

"What's wrong?" He asked, actually sounding concerned. Maybe he was just glad I wasn't talking about him being late again.

"Well, Nick came by this morning and it kind of brought-" He immediately cut me off.

"Woah, woah, woah. Nick, the jerk who broke your heart? What were you doing talking to him?" He asked, getting mad. I gulped, I didn't want to deal with an angry Jake but I also needed to be able to stop pretending everything was okay around him.

"Yeah, he came by. He told me he hoped we could be friends. I kind of yelled at him and then he told me that no matter what he'd be there for me. I was angry and I slammed the door in his face," I said this all in one breath.

"You should've slammed the door in his face the minute you saw who it was. He doesn't deserve to be able to talk to you," Jake said bitterly. Who did he think he was, telling me who I can and cannot talk to?

"Listen, Jake. I understand you don't like the idea of me talking to my ex-" I was cut off when the waitress came to take our orders. I ordered a plain salad while Jake ordered a lobster.

I started again once she left, "I know the idea of me talking to my ex doesn't thrill you. You need to trust me and understand that nothing between the two of us is going to happen just because I talk to him. You're my boyfriend, not him. Unfortunately, you have no control who I do and do not talk to," I said. I was gaining confidence the more I talked to him. Although I was more confident, I was still nervous about what he was going to say next.

I could tell he was mad before he spoke.

"I can already tell he's up to no good. He's gonna try and break us up. And for the record, I can tell you who you can't talk to when all I'm doing is protecting you. I don't really care who you talk to, but you are not to talk to him," Jake said, fuming. I was afraid he was gonna start yelling.

"I can talk to him if I please," I said, rather confidently.

"Wait a second, I bet your not telling the whole story. You probably kissed him or something. Didn't you?" He asked, mad.

"No, I did not! Don't just accuse me of stuff that you're just making up in that head of yours. I have always been 100% loyal and faithful to you. I am not a cheater." I said.

"Well, you certainly don't act like one but that doesn't mean you aren't one," He said accusingly. I could not believe he was implying that I had cheated on him with Nick. This was unbelievable. We were 22 years old and he was acting like a baby. I was outraged that he felt he could just make crap up!

"You know what? I'm not even gonna argue. I'm done with this relationship and I'm done with you. I want to go home," I said. I was beyond mad. It was a rarity I allowed myself to get this worked up. He just was not worth my time.

"We'll go home, after I eat," He said, not even commenting on the fact I broke up with him. Well, this was great, I was stuck here for another half hour at least.

Our food came a moment later, and we began to eat. There was not a sound between us except the clattering of forks on the plates. It was dreadful this silent, but I did not want to ever speak to him again. so I did not say anything.

The waiter came with the check. Jake asked me, "So, where's your half of the bill? I'm not paying for you if we're no longer together."

I just stared at him. shocked. Nick would never, ever let the lady pay for the meal. There had been times when Lily, Nick, and I had gone out and he would pay for both of us without question. I guess I never realized how much more of a gentlemen Nick acted like than other guys.

"Here," I said handing him $30. I didn't know how much I owed, nor did I care. I pushed my chair in and stood up. He stood up as well, after leaving his money on the table next to mine.

We walked to the car in silence and climbed in. That's when it got really bad.

"I didn't want to yell in the restaurant and cause a scene, but I do not have a problem yelling here. Who the hell do you think you are talking to me like that? I am THE Jake Ryan and I am known internationally. NO ONE gets to talk to me like that. Not even you!" He screamed this at me and that's when I got scared. He was in such a rage. A deep, dark rage. His face was bright red and he was just staring at me. He didn't even make an effort to start the car.

"Jake, I-" Before I could say something that would calm him down, the palm of his hand came in contact with my face. Hard. Really hard. I immediately started crying. Never before had a man laid his hand on my body in such a cruel way.

I opened the car door and ran to the beach crying. I ran as far as I could before I had to stop for a breath. I sat at the shore and turned around, making sure Jake wasn't in sight. Thankfully, he wasn't. The salty tears continued to poor down my face. The physical pain was no longer there but it scared the crap out of me that he had struck me.

I needed someone to come and pick me up. I first tried Lily's cell, but she didn't answer. Then I tried our apartment, but she didn't answer that either. I was a little concerned about this but I was more scared about the fact that I was sitting alone on the beach in the dark, no clue where I was, and the fact I had no one to call for a ride.

Oliver was touring on the east coast, so I couldn't call him.

Jackson had moved to Tennessee with his new wife, Sue, after they got married.

My daddy and I were no longer close, so I couldn't call him. He had completely chosen Becky and Clara over Jackson and me. It had hurt a lot because the three of us had been really close at a point. It was the part of the reason Jackson had moved to Tennessee in the first place. I wasn't going to call my dad because I didn't want to listen to a lecture on how 'this stuff never happened to Becky.'

I closed my eyes and thought. I was lost on the beach at night with no one to call. I had run through the town, swerving in and out of buildings along the coastline to make sure Jake couldn't follow me. I cried even harder when I realized I had no idea where I even was.

That's when I remembered the conversation I had with Nick that morning. He said I could call him at any time and in any situation and he'd come. I just prayed that he really did mean it.

As awkward as it was, calling my ex who I was extremely mad at for help, relief washed over me because I believed that Nick would come and get me. I didn't want him to think I actually needed him, but in this situation, I really did and that scared the crap out of me.

**Nick's POV**

I couldn't think straight as I sat in my music room in my apartment, trying to write another song. My producer had told me I had to write some new material if I wanted to keep such a strong fan-base and also my good contract. It was so hard for me to write songs when I wasn't inspired. For me to write a good song, I had to be in the mood to do so. I couldn't just be told to write a song and then come up with an award winning record. That's just not how it worked for me.

I should have been able to write a song. I had just been dumped by a girl and then I had just seen another girl whom I loved and hadn't seen in a year and a half. I should've been able to come up with anything. But everything I came up with was, well, stupid.

Every time I closed my eyes her head popped into my mind. Miley's face. Her beautiful blue eyes that I could stare into all day. Her long, chocolate-colored hair that was naturally beautiful. That smile of hers that could make the whole room smile. Gosh, I was in love with her.

Just then my phone rang. I looked down at the Caller-ID and saw that it read 'Smiley.' I didn't think twice before picking it up.

"Miley?" I asked, rather surprised. After today, I was pretty sure she wouldn't be talking to me for a while. Especially if I wasn't the one to make the first move.

"Nick, I need you," I could tell from her voice she was crying. I looked at my watch, it was 9:30 at night.

"Mi, what's wrong?" I asked calmly as I headed out the door and into my car.

"Jake...h-he hit me.." She sobbed as she said this.

"Oh my god, Mile. Where are you? I'm coming. Just know it wasn't your fault." I said and waited for her to answer so I could start speeding off to find her.

The anger raced through my veins. How dare he lay a hand on her? All I wanted to do was pull her into my arms and never let go.

"I'm at..t-the beach but I don't ..k-know where. I..r-ran away from h-him at the 'Little Oyster' when he hit me.." She said through her tears. My heart ached knowing I wasn't there to calm her.

"Alright, Mi. It's okay, I'm on my way. I'll park my car on at 'the Little Oyster' and then come walk down the beach. It shouldn't be more than twenty minutes, okay?" I asked, feeling worse by the minute. She was really upset. It was a rare occasion when she cried, let alone like that. I figured she was just scared that he'd come and do it again but I would make sure he did not. No one, and I mean no one, touched my girl like that.

"Ok, N-Nick. Thank y-you."

"You don't have to thank me, Mi. I promised I'd be there for you and I will be," I said, knowing I was getting a chance to redeem myself and I wasn't going to screw it up. I was going to go get her and take her home where she'd be safe.

"Nick?" She asked in a really quiet, scared voice.

"Yeah?"

"C-Can you just stay o-on the p-phone until you g-get here? I k-know I probably s-sound like a b-baby but I'm scared," She said this in a way I could tell she was embarrassed to ask. I knew her way to well.

"Of course, Mile. I won't hang up until I'm at your side. I promise. I'm pulling into the 'The Little Oyster' now so I'll see you in a few minutes," I climbed out of the car and began walking down the beach at a brisk pace. The faster I walked, the faster I could comfort Miley.

After a few minutes of walking, I saw her lone figure sitting by the shore and I headed towards it as I said, "I see you, Mi."

She stood up and ran towards me.

**A/N **

**Woot! Woot! Another long one. 2603 words :)**

**Sorry it took so long to upload. School has been crazy & I've been super busy. **

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	5. Chapter 5

**Nick's POV**

Miley ran to me, the sand flying into the air as her legs kicked it up with each step. She was in my arms before I knew it and I pulled her close. I could feel the tears dripping off of her face and rolling down onto my shirt. I didn't mind at all, nothing mattered right then except for the fact that she was safe.

"Mile, you don't have to cry. You're safe. Jake's gone," I said, stroking the back of hair. Although I knew she was still mad at me for our broken past, I couldn't help but smile at the fact she had called ME for help. Maybe it meant there was a chance of the two of us being okay after all.

"I-I know," she said, as she tried to calm down and stop crying. The tears continued but at a lesser pace. I could tell she was really shooken up from the situation with Jake. I didn't blame her, though. Any girl in that situation would be upset.

I, personally, wanted to go have a word with Jake about how to treat a girl right. Especially a girl like Miley. Miley was one of those selfless people who would do absolutely anything for anyone she cared about.

She was also almost always in a good mood. It was one of the reasons I loved her. My blood boiled as I thought about Jake striking her across the face. I'd like to give him a good hit across the face myself.

"Thank you for coming," Miley said in a small voice as her tears began to dry up. I wiped the few remaining ones away with the pad of my thumb.

"You don't have to thank me. Anytime you need me, I'll be here. I told you that before and I meant every single word of it," I whispered softly into her eat. She seemed so delicate, as if she might break if I hugged her too hard.

Suddenly, as if she remembered that she was mad at me, she pulled out of my arms and sat down beside me. There was about a foot of sand between us. I could feel the tension in the air between us.

"Mile, I think we need to talk," I said with a sigh as I glanced over at her. She was curled up in a tight ball, her knees pulled to her chest. Her face was staring straight ahead at the ocean.

"About what?" She asked innocently, her gaze still on the water in front of her.

"You know what I'm talking about. Us. Our past. You being mad at me.." I said softly, still looking at her. Even though her make up was smudged and her eyes were puffy, she was still gorgeous. I studied her face as I waited for a response to come out of her.

"Oh," she said softly. One syllable was all I got from her.

"Mile, listen. I've been trying to talk to you for two and a half years about our relationship but you never want to listen. You don't return my phone calls, you ignore my texts, and when I do see you in public you either blow past me like I don't exist or you just give me smart ass answers when I try to talk to you. For once, would you please just listen to me talk? Like actually listen; not sit there and pretend you have better things to do?" I pleaded with her. Her face still didn't turn towards me.

"Honesty, Nick, I so do not feel like discussing all that right now. Just because you actually came when I needed you this time doesn't mean I'm just gonna forgive you for everything that's happened in the past and fall into your arms again. It doesn't work that way! This isn't a fairytale!" Miley exclaimed angrily, this time, turning to look at me.

"I know I've made mistakes in the past. I know I caused you heartbreak. Trust me, I've broken my own heart a thousand times worse. But, why can't you just hear me out?" I asked, frustrated. Here I was, trying to work things out and she wasn't making this any easier.

"Because I'd bet that the only reason you told me 'you'd be here for me whenever I needed you' crap, you did it to get me back into your good graces. What do you want from me? Do you want me to design some clothes for you or something? And don't you dare say it's because you care because if you've cared so damn much we wouldn't be in this position right now!" She was screaming now and was on the verge of crying again.

I, myself, was heart broken. How could she think that I was being there for her just to use her? How could she honestly think I don't care for her? I'd give up everything just for us to be ok again.

**Miley's POV**

"Miley, if you honestly think I don't care about you, then you obviously don't know me. I would never, ever pretend to be there for someone just to get something out of them. Especially you, of all people, Miley. I love you. Ok? I've loved you ever since we were sixteen and it's crazy as hell that no matter how hard I try to stop loving you I just can't. I care about you more than you will ever know," Nick said, his voice full of pain. I could see tears forming in his eyes and it was a rare occasion that Nick would let someone see him cry.

I began to feel bad but I didn't really know what to say so I just sat there in silence, staring out at the water, pretending this conversation was not going on. I knew it was immature, but I really didn't know how to respond to any of the stuff Nick had just thrown at me. Heck, I wasn't even sure if I loved him.

"You want to know the real reason I told you I'll always be here for you and meant it? Because I actually do care for you and I know that things aren't that great between you and your dad and the rest of family since he got remarried. I know that Oliver tours a lot now that he's hit it big. I get it. I also know that Lily tries her hardest but even she, can't always be there for you. I told you that because I wanted you to know that if there ever came a day, like tonight, when you needed someone and felt like you had no one, that you could call me!" He exclaimed this with a ton of emotion in his voice and I even saw one of his tears stream down his cheek.

Through the corner of my eye, I could see him reach up to wipe his tear away. I knew I should say something; tell him I believed him. I just couldn't bring myself to speak those words. He had hurt me so much before I was scared that if I let him in, he'd be able to put me through the same pain again.

"We should probably go…" I said in a really smile voice. I wasn't even certain if he could hear it over the sound of the crashing waves.

He nodded his head and stood up, remaining silent. I knew him well enough to tell that he was waiting for me to say something. Unfortunately for him, I wasn't quite sure what to say.

We began walking along the beach towards his car in uncomfortable silence. Both of us had a lot to say to each other but couldn't quite find the words to let it all out.

The thing was, I did love Nick and I did miss not having him in my life. Throughout those years we dated, he was my rock. He was the one person I depended on. When I broke up with him, I was devastated and I didn't know who to lean on. Sure, I had Lily and Oliver but neither of them could compare to Nick.

Nick had this special power of knowing what was on my mind and knowing just what to say to fix it. When he was gone from my life, I began to depend more on myself to get me through rough times. I was scared to let Nick back in and have to trust him with everything again.

When the car came into view, I couldn't be any happier. All I wanted to do was to get home and lay under my covers. Maybe even talk to Lily if she was still awake.

Being Nick, the gentleman, he opened my car door for me. We weren't on anything close to a date and he still opened the door for me. I wanted to smile but I didn't think now was an appropriate time to as I saw the sadness in Nick's eyes.

My phone rang and seeing it was Lily, I answered.

"Hey Lils," I said kind of quietly. It was rather awkward to be having a conversation with someone in Nick's car when Nick and I weren't even speaking.

"Miles, did you call me? Sorry, I went for a walk and met up with Joe. I left my phone in the house and he took me out to a restaurant where we had a few drinks."

"Oh, yeah, I did call you. Things got kind of out of control between Jake and I needed a ride home. I'll explain later," I said, hoping she'd take the hint not to ask any more questions. I really didn't want to talk about Nick when I was sitting in the car next to him.

"Do you still need a ride? I'm back at the apartment now? I can head out in like two minutes.." She stated sounding concerned. I didn't blame her, I kind of made it sound like a big deal but wouldn't explain the details.

"No, it's fine. Nick actually came to pick me up. We're on our way home now," I said as nonchalantly as possible, hoping Nick wouldn't pick up the fact I was talking about him. No luck, he turned to look at me when I said his name.

"Oh, ok. I'll see you in when you get home," She said, sounding rather surprised to hear Nick's name.

"Bye Lils. See you in like fifteen minutes." I said and pushed the end button on my blackberry.

There was pure silence except the sound of Elvis Costello playing on the radio as we continued to drive towards my apartment. Finally, Nick broke the silence.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I kind of got a little carried away back there. You were already going through a tough enough situation with Jake and I tried to bring up our rough past. It wasn't the world's best timing. I want you to know, though, that I meant everything I said about still caring about you," He said this with his eyes still focused on the road but his voice was soft and comforting.

Leave it to Nick to apologize for making me upset when I really was the cause of the little argument. I knew I couldn't just ignore a comment like this as when I had done this previously, it had upset him.

"Nick… you don't have to take the blame for all of this," I started, shyly but then continued, my voice gaining confidence. "I've just kind of had a rough day today with Jake and I took all my frustrations out on you. I'm sorry, I feel like a brat."

I looked at him as I said the last part and he glanced over at me quickly before turning his eyes back to the road. I could see that he was a little bit happier than he had been previously.

"You don't have to apologize, Mi. I should have been more understanding than I was. But, I really do think we should meet up and talk about our past and try to work some things out sometime. I think it would be good for both of us," He said, quietly. I could tell he was fearing the rejection of his proposal.

In all honesty, I thought it was a good idea too. I hated being around him and having to act like I hated him. Maybe it was time to put our rough past behind us and start over as friends. Therefore, I agreed to his idea. This caused him to smile.

"How about I pick you up at three tomorrow and we go out for some late coffee?" He asked, perking up even more.

"Sounds like a plan," I responded. I was feeling a bit happier too. He hadn't forgotten my love for coffee. He was such a good guy, considering he really wasn't a fan of coffee himself.

When we pulled up in front of my apartment, I expected him to just let me climb out and then he'd drive off but instead, he turned off the engine and climbed out of the car. Before I could question what he was doing, he opened the door to my side of the car and put his arm out, gesturing for me to climb out. This brought a toothy smile onto my face. He never failed to be a gentleman.

Then he began walking up the steps to my apartment and I followed close behind. Although we really weren't on the best of terms right now, there was no awkwardness when he pulled me into his arms for a hug and then said good night to me.

"Good night," I said back. With that being said, he began climbing down the steps towards his car. I turned around and went inside the apartment.

Lily was waiting for me right in the living room. She got up and hugged me.

"Tell me everything!" She squealed as she pulled me towards the couch. I laughed at her eagerness and sat down on the sofa.

"Only if you tell me everything about your date with Mr. Joe Jonas! I need details!" I exclaimed back at her. She quickly agreed.

"So tell me, how did you leave the house with Jake and come back with Nick?" She asked excitedly. Normally, she wouldn't be so happy seeing as I clearly just broke up with Jake but she could tell I was happy about it and that I had my eyes set on Nick. In her opinion, Nick was a much better guy for me and I couldn't help but agree.

Starting at the beginning, I told her everything, including the part about my argument with Nick and also how we were going to get coffee tomorrow afternoon.

"Ugh, I really hate Jake! No one touches my best friend like that! He better not show his face around here for a while or I'll have a little word with him. I bet I could his whole reputation. All I have to do is leak a little bit of this story to the—" Lily started to say but I cut her off.

"Lils, thank you for offering, but let's just let it be. I'm upset over too, it was scary as hell but it also made me realize how much he just wasn't the guy for me. I know for a fact Nick would NEVER even think about doing that to a girl. I'm not saying I'm ready to just jump into a relationship with Nick again but Nick made me realize that there are guys out there who WILL treat me right," I said.

I really didn't want Lily going and trying to get revenge on Jake. Sure, he deserved it. The situation was over though, and I didn't want to particularly relive it.

"I guess you're right," Lily said reluctantly. I loved her for the way she was always there to protect me; just like a sister.

"You know I am," I responded and then remembered how she had her own gossip to share with me. "And I want to hear everything about your little date too, missy!"

She giggled, something she always did when she was into a guy and someone mentioned him.

"Well, I went outside for a walk. I just needed to clear my mind from work; it was hectic today. It isn't easy being a nurse. Anyways, I was walking towards Central Park, hoping to go for a little stroll when out of nowhere comes Joe. He waved and then I walked over to him," She began the story, her voice filled with excitement. I smiled at her, seeing that she was truly happy.

"And then he's like what are you up to? And I said nothing really so he said maybe we should go out for a drink and I agreed. We walk to this cute little restaurant and talk for a few hours," Lily added, with a giggle.

"Eeeeep! What did you guys talk about?" Even though I was 22 years old I still acted like a 16 year-old girl when it came to talking about boys.

"Anything and everything. Nick and him are probably gonna move to New York. Nick thinks it will be easier for work since he drives here from New Jersey practically everyday and Joe just wants to feel some of the excitement of the Big Apple," Lily continued on aimlessly about all the things they talked about.

I, however, only thought about Nick moving to New York. It wasn't like he lived that far away. New Jersey was only like a half hour away but still. I'd be seeing him more if he lived in New York.

I silently yelled at myself. I was supposed to be mad at Nick and here I was, hoping he would move up here permanently.

I needed to stop getting way ahead of myself.

**Nick's POV**

The next afternoon, I stood in front of the mirror, frustrated with myself. I had absolutely no idea what to wear out with Miley.

I never really put that much t bought into what I wore, like most guys. But, today I wanted to look just right to take out Miley.

I needed a girl's opinion.

Even though Jenna and I had dated for a few weeks after Miley and I had split, we were still friends. Although it might be slightly awkward to call her to ask her what I should wear on a date with another girl, I decided to take that risk. I dialed her number and put the phone to my ear.

"Hey Nick!" She answered, her voice sounding happy.

"Hey, Jen! How've you been?" I asked, seeing as I hadn't spoken to her in quite some time.

"Pretty good. I've been busy, too, though. My singing career is beginning to take off," she said, putting it as modestly as she could.

"So, I've heard! I was in the car the other day and your song came on the radio. I'm so happy for you!" I said honestly to her.

"Thanks, Nick. That means a lot coming from one of the best producers in the country. What's up in the world of Mr. Grey?"

"Well, I know this is kind of awkward but, I'm taking Miley out for coffee so we can talk about thinks and I was wondering if you could help me find something to wear... I'm really nervous. And, don't worry, I usually don't fret about my clothes but I want to look nice for Miley. You don't have to-" I rambled on but Jenna cut me off.

"Nick, chill! I'll help you!" She said, laughing at how nervous I was.

"Thanks, Jen," I said, gratefully.

"It's no problem. Just put on a pair of cream-colored khakis. Wear a nice button down collared shirt. C'mon, it is the classic Nick Grey look!" Jenna joked. I laughed.

When we were dating, I was always the big name. But now, it looked like things were changing. Jenna had made a name for herself in the music industry.

"Yeah, I guess I do kind of dress like that quite a bit. I should've been able to figure that one out.." I muttered.

"And Nick?.. Try not to be too nervous. The more nervous you are, the more awkward it will be. And awkward is not good.."

"Thanks for all your help, Jenn. I'll take your advice and try not to be all that nervous. But, I've got to go get ready to meet Miley!" I said, noticing how late it was getting.

"It really wasn't any trouble! Good luck and call me when you're done!"

"Will do, Jen! Bye!" I said into the phone.

It was kind of nice having a friend that was a girl. Growing up with only brothers, it was hard to get a girl's opinion on guys.

Jenna and I broke because there just weren't any "sparks" in our relationship. Sure, we had fun but it wasn't like a dating type of fun. We figured that it would be best to just remain friends.

It's funny because everyone says they're going to be friends once they break up with someone. In real life, this rarely happens. But, I guess we got lucky. We certainly weren't best friends, but it also wasn't awkward for me to call her up out of the blue.

But, I couldn't be thinking about that now. I had a date to get ready for.

**So, long time, no post! I feel so bad guys! From here on out, I'm going to try and update every week, I promise! School has just been so crazy! **

**I just made Jenna up, she isn't meant to resemble any character. **

**I love feedback (:**

***Sorry, I had to update this three times. I messed up big time the first two times. Embarassing? I know . **


	6. Chapter 6

**Nick's POV**

I pulled my Mustang up to the front of her apartment and then turned the engine off. I sat in the driver's seat trying to shake of all of my nervousness as I thought of Jenna's advice.

"Don't make this awkward, Nick," I repeated to myself over and over as I climbed out of the car.

I walked up the steps to her apartment and glanced down at my watch. It was exactly 3 o'clock. My finger pressed the doorbell.

A few seconds later, Lily's face appeared in the doorway. She was smiling brightly, but this was no surprise. Lily was one of those happy-go-lucky people. Just like Joe.

"Hey, Lily! How've you been?" I said as I leaned in to hug her. I wrapped my arms around her gently to give her a quick, friendly hug.

"I've been all right, thanks for asking!" She smiled at me and I'm sure my face mirrored the same emotion.

I had missed her. While Miley and I were dating, we often hung out with Lily and Oliver as well as my brothers.

"Hi, Nick.." Miley said, shyly, popping her head into the doorframe.

"Hey, Miles!" I said, much more confidently. I took a step forward into the apartment and wrapped my arms around her. I squeezed her for a second before letting her go. It felt great to hold her in my arms, if only for a second.

"You all ready?" I asked her, taking in her appearance.

It was no surprise that she looked stunning. Her dark hair was left down in long, natural waves. She wore a grey, short-sleeved dress that landed just above her knees. Underneath she wore black tights that had a pattern cut into them.

"Yeah. Bye Lily!" She said as she grabbed her purse off the table and followed me to my car.

I reached out and opened the car door for her.

She smiled gratefully at me before I closed it after her.

I walked around the side of the car and climbed into the driver's seat. I looked over at her and could tell she was nervous. I fiddled with the radio to put on some music to ease the tension in the car.

"Wow, I'm impressed. You still remember my favorite album," Miley said, in reference to the fact a Taylor Swift cd was playing.

I smiled to myself, knowing it had been a good decision to keep the cd even after Miley and I had broken up. While we were dating, we could never agree on what to listen to in the car, both having very different tastes of music.

When we went out one day, I had bought the cd so she would have something to listen to in the car when she rode with me.

"Of course! But, I must admit, Taylor Swift is growing on me!" I told her.

"Lemme guess, you listen to it all the time when you're alone!" Miley joked and I laughed. I was glad the atmosphere in the car was light and easy.

"You caught me red-handed!"

She laughed. God, how I missed that laugh. It was very contagious. Whenever she laughed, I couldn't help but join with her.

"So, where are you taking me for coffee?" She asked on a more serious note.

It seemed as some of the tension from the previous night was returning. I sighed, knowing that even though we were kidding around right now, it would be hard to win her back.

"I thought we'd go to Corner Coffee Cafe. I heard it has great coffee... that is, if you're ok with it.."

"Sounds great!" She answered my awkward comment.

Moments later, we pulled up in front of the Corner Coffee Cafe. It was a quaint little cafe.

I walked over to her side of the car and opened her door for her.

"Thank you, Nick," She said as I shut the car door once she was on the sidewalk.

"Anytime," I replied honestly as I opened the door to the cafe.

We walked up to the counter and looked at the menu.

"Can I help you?" Asked a young girl behind the counter, probably around sixteen.

"I'll have an iced, caramel latte with whipped cream," Miley ordered. I made a mental note to myself to remember that for future reference.

The girl behind the counter glanced me.

"I'll just have a black coffee, please," I said. I wasn't really a fan of coffee but I would drink it every once in a while.

"That'll be $12.46," the girl said.

Miley reached into her purse to get her wallet but I reached out and caught her hand to stop her.

"This is on me," I said, handing the girl behind the counter my debit card.

"But-" Miley started but I cut her off.

"But, nothing! I asked you out for coffee, I'm going to pay!" I said as I took my card and the coffees from the lady behind the counter.

I walked over to a small table in the corner and set them down. I sat down on the booth and Miley sat directly across from me.

"It's not right for you to pay, but thank you. I really appreciate it," Miley said, smiling at me. Oh, how I loved that smile. It could just light up the whole room.

Suddenly, I could feel the situation get tense again as we both remembered the reason we were her and what we had to talk about. There was a moment of silence between us.

"So.." I said and then mentally slapped myself. The one thing Jenna had told me was to not make this awkward and that was the one thing I did.

Miley giggled nervously in response, looking at me as if to say she had no idea what to say herself. I smiled at her and then I spoke.

"We should probably talk about us. We've pit it off long enough." I was surprised at the confidence in my own voice.

"We should," Miley agreed. She took a sip of her latte and looked at me again.

"I know you probably won't believe this," I started and then continued, looking up to meet we blue eyes. "But.. I honestly never meant to hurt you. Becky came onto me, and I, being the idiot I am, kissed her back. The thing is, it meant nothing. As cliche as it may sound, it honestly meant nothing. It was like kissing my grandma!"

She raised her eyebrows at that last part.

"Well, you know what I mean. The point is, it was nothing like kissing you. It's crazy, Mi. I haven't spoken to you in close to two years and yet, you're always on my mind. I can't stop loving you and the scares the hell out of me. My biggest regret was not being there for you. That tour wasn't even worth it. Sure, I made thousands of girls happy, but by doing that, I couldn't make the girl I loved happy. You," I clarified the last bit at the end, not sure if she would catch it. I hoped I hadn't been too forward when I told her that I loved her.

I looked across the wooden table to see her facial expression. I usually could read her like a book, but today her face showed no emotion.

"I really don't know what to say to that.. I've waited two years to hear you to say that.. but now that you've said all that.. I-I just don't know.." She said, her voice trailing off at the end.

In all honesty, I didn't know what to say to that either, but I wasn't going to let the awkward silence last any longer.

"Look, I know I really hurt you. And not only with the fact I kissed Becky, but also the fact I wasn't there for you when you needed me. It kills me that I hurt you. It kills me that it's my own fault for the bad ending to our relationship, the best thing I've ever had going for me.." I said, honestly. I missed having Miley in my life.

"I miss you too, Nick," she said and I smiled at her. "But.. I'm not ready to jump head over heels into another relationship with you.."

When she said this, I felt my heart drop inside my chest. This was it, she wasn't going to give me another chance.

Before I had a chance to respond, she spoke again.

"But, I would like to try and be friends.. but, you have to really make an effort to be just friends with me.. at least for a little while until I gain my trust in you again.."

I smiled at her and she smiled back at me. For the first time in a long time, I was truly happy; I had a second chance with the girl I loved.

**Miley's POV**

I wasn't sure what I was thinking when I said that. In all honesty, I was nowhere near ready to be in a relationship with him, or anyone for that matter. I just needed some space.

However, having him as a friend would not be all that bad. The only problem was that I didn't know if I trusted myself to be JUST friends with him.

I hoped he would take me seriously and would try to be just friends with me and wouldn't flirt with me.

"Ok, you got yourself a deal!" Nick said. He had a big, goofy smile on his face and I smiled, knowing that I was the reason for this. We didn't have to be dating and yet I could still brighten up Nick's eyes.

It was nice to know that me being apart of someone else's life cheered them up. I sometimes forgot that after everything that had happened in my family after my dad had married Carol.

We finished our coffee with comfortable chatter. Afterwards, Nick walked me back to the car. He opened the door for me, but he did it out of friendliness and the fact that he was a gentleman, rather than the fact that he wanted to impress me.

"I'm really glad you're giving me a chance to be friends with you. I've missed you, Mi," He said once we were in the car. He turned to me and smiled.

My face mirrored his own as I smiled.

"I've missed you too, Nick. More than I realized. I forgot how much fun the two of us had together," I replied

Although all the media and fans of Nick Grey thought he was all serious, I knew how to bring out his wild and fun side.

As we drove around, through the city and back to my apartment we reminiced about some of our crazy memories.

"Remember that time we were in Atlant during the tour and we went to the diner till like 1 in the morning and Joe was hitting on the waitress and then she turned around and told him that she was more into blond-haired, blue-eye guys!" Nick said, laughing at how embarassed Joe had been.

"Oh my gosh, I do! Remember how we were there Joe practically ordered the whole menu because it made the waitress come over more and he'd be able to get more of a chance to flirt with her!" I responded, giggling uncontrollably.

We continued to joke around about all of our past experiences until we reached my apartment. Nick got out and opened the door for me.

We made our way up the steps to the apartment. He hugged me, saying he would be in contact with me soon.

"Bye, Nicky!" I said, calling him the pet-name I had given him when we were going out.

"See you late, Smiley!" He responded, shaking his head at the name I had given him. I waited on the porch until I saw him pull away, and then I opened the door, ran inside and squealed at the top of my lungs.

Lily ran in and practically took me down, asking me how the coffee outing had gone.

"It went pretty great! He apologized for everything, sincerely too! And I told him that I wasn't ready to jump into a relationship with him but that we could be friends for now and see where that ends up.."

"Eeeep! I'm so happy for you! .. Just really try not to rush into a relationship with him. I know you just want to be friends right now, but that can change very quickly.." Lily said, trying to look out for me.

"I know, Lil. As much as I want to be Nick's girlfriend again, I'm going to take this really slow.. after all, it really wasn't that long ago that he hurt me.." I said, remembering how hurt I had been the last time Nick and I had broken up.

I wasn't even close to wanting to take the chance of getting hurt like that again.

"It's going to take me a while to trust him completely again..We're probably going to be just friends for a while, if not forever," I said.

Although I had forgiven Nick, I wasn't anywhere near ready to give him my heart again, which he could so easily break into a million tiny pieces again.

**AN **

**I know it's not all that long, but I wanted to update because this week is going to be crazy and I'm not sure how long it's going to be before I get a chance to update again. **

**I'm not exactly in love with this chapter, but I didn't know how to fix it so it was better :/ **

**Thanks for all the support. xoxo **


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